THE NEW LEADER

September 2010

The younger Miliband wins the Labour leadership with just 1.3% more votes than his brother, David. The result is immediately hailed as a "disaster" by supporters of Tony Blair who had backed David. Before embracing his elder sibling, Ed tells the conference: "David, I love you so much as a brother."

December

There are rumblings about Miliband's leadership after a disastrous performance against David Cameron in the Commons at prime minister's questions. Labour's leader attacks the government on its economic policy but fails to hit his target, fuelling questions over his tactics. When Miliband taunts the Tories as children of Margaret Thatcher, Cameron laughs back: "I'd rather be a child of Thatcher than a son of Brown."

CABINET RESHUFFLE

January 2011

Alan Johnson resigns as shadow chancellor over the breakdown of his marriage and a disenchantment with the direction of Labour's economic policy, handing Miliband his greatest challenge since winning the leadership election. In a major reshaping of the party, the Labour leader reluctantly reshuffles his frontbench team and appoints Ed Balls as shadow chancellor, months after passing him over for the post amid a clash over the pace of deficit reduction.

FAMILY VALUES

May

Miliband marries his long-term partner Justine Thornton in a private ceremony in Nottinghamshire but there is no best man. The civil ceremony takes place in a luxury hotel attended by about 50 guests, including his brother, but David does not stay for the reception. Miliband had faced questions about his status as an unmarried father after becoming opposition leader, and following the birth of the couple's second son in November.

June

A biography written by two leftwing political journalists, Ed: The Milibands and the Making of a Labour Leader, lays bare the devastating consequences of Ed's shock victory on his relationship with "heartbroken" David and the wider Miliband family. It also recounts in detail the dirty tricks campaigns of smears and name-calling both brothers used against each other in the run up to the ballot.

July

The Labour leader has an hour-long operation on his adenoids to tackle a deviated septum in his nose, so making it easier for him to sleep, and for his wife Justine to be spared his snoring. The operation comes as critics question whether he has the gravitas, the style or even the voice to be a future prime minister. The procedure is a success and some say he does sound less nasal. But the deeper questions remain as polls continue to reveal that the public doubts his leadership qualities

SEIZING THE AGENDA

July

Miliband calls for the former News of the World editor Rebekah Brooks to "consider her position" over claims that the schoolgirl Milly Dowler's phone was hacked. In a bold move, he says that Brooks, then the chief executive of the newspaper's parent company News International, should "examine her conscience". His handling of the scandal is widely praised.

August

The Labour leader criticises the prime minister's reaction to the riots in English cities. Miliband says society as a whole bears responsibility for the conditions that led to disturbances across England. While calling for a public inquiry, he claims that rioters need to accept responsibility for their actions, but wider questions about what caused the unrest also need to be answered, adding: "You cannot arrest your way out of this problem."

WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?

September

Miliband is heckled as he tells trade union activists at the TUC conference that strikes against pension reforms are a sign of failure. He also tells the unions – some of which financed his bid for the leadership – that he may not be able to reverse every cut being made as part of the government's austerity drive. Further cries of "shame" follow when Miliband expresses his support for the government's academy programme, which sees schools freed from local authority control.